Funko, the company behind the popular Pop Vinyl line of collectible figures and other similar collectible lines, announced on Monday that it has purchased Mondo, a purveyor of high-end pop culture collectibles including vinyl records, posters, toys, and apparel, from Alamo Drafthouse. Rob Jones and Tim League founded Mondo in 2004 to cater to collectors of movie posters and similar memorabilia, hiring popular artists – including giants of the comics industry like Francesco Francavilla and Jock – to create highly sought-after limited pieces of artwork based on fan-favorite properties and those with a cult following.
For 20 years, we have poured our heart and souls into this weird little thing that Rob Jones and Tim League started in a closet in the corner of an Alamo Drafthouse lobby… then out of a closet underneath the seats of a Drafthouse auditorium (seriously). Eventually, we opened our own gallery space, and even started our own convention.
We have always loved following our passions and doing things our own way, and we’ll be forever thankful to the Alamo Drafthouse for supporting those passions and helping us grow into what we are today. But we needed a bigger boat… and that’s where Funko comes in. They understand what Mondo is today and are eager to help us become the company we want to be.
From the outside, Mondo might seem like it is changing… but on the inside much is staying the same. We remain the same team, and our goals remain unchanged. We are still the same bunch of weirdos who share an undying obsession with popular (and maybe less popular) culture, and a craving to make cool stuff with the best artists in the world.
We are still the same company that started in the theater lobby… only now with even more resources to support our vision. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.
